Homeowner Gas Safety
Gas Safety Certificates for Homeowners: Rules for Buying and Selling
Owner-occupiers in England who are not acting as landlords do not have the annual gas safety record duty that applies to landlords; selling their home does not itself create that duty. For London homeowners, voluntary inspections can help answer questions about appliance condition. Owners accommodating paying lodgers need to consider the landlord gas safety regulations. A safety inspection, service history and installation compliance paperwork provide different evidence, so establish what a buyer is requesting before arranging work.
Landlord Gas Safety Guides > Homeowner Gas Safety Certificates
Have your postcode, the gas appliances you provide and your current certificate's expiry date ready.
- Gas Safe registered: 648977
- Every landlord gas appliance checked
- Same-day appointments available
Which Gas Safety Rule Applies to Your Home?
Whether the landlord rules apply depends on how the home is occupied, including whether you receive payment for someone living there. Regulation 36 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 sets out landlord duties. HSE’s guidance includes accommodation with paying lodgers.
Use these five situations to identify your next step:
Selling a property does not remove existing landlord responsibilities while it remains let. If the occupancy arrangement is unclear, establish your position before relying on the owner-occupier rule.
Owner-occupier without paying occupants
the annual landlord-record duty does not apply merely because you own and occupy the home. Keep appliances maintained and arrange safety checks as recommended; the absence of that annual duty does not remove your gas safety responsibilities.
Owner with a paying lodger
landlord gas safety duties apply even though you also live there. Arrange annual checks of the gas appliances and flues you provide, and meet the associated record requirements. Include appliances beyond the boiler.
Owner selling their own occupied home
the sale itself does not create an annual landlord-record duty. Identify whether the buyer wants inspection findings, maintenance history or installation evidence, then discuss the request with your conveyancer.
Buyer intending to live in the home
buying for ordinary owner-occupation does not itself create an annual landlord-record duty. Review available documents and decide whether a separate gas safety inspection would help before committing.
Owner letting the property or buyer intending to let it
landlord duties apply when the property is let. Establish the appliance list, arrange the required checks and have the appropriate record ready before tenants move in.
Selling Your Home: Separate the Legal Rule From the Buyer’s Request
Selling an owner-occupied home does not itself trigger the annual landlord gas safety record duty, but a buyer may still ask for evidence or an inspection.
Prepare the Gas Paperwork Before Answering Sale Enquiries
Gather the gas documents you already hold and ask which document the buyer’s enquiry refers to.
- Identify the gas appliances included in the sale, such as the boiler, hob, cooker or fire.
- Collect available gas safety inspection records and service records.
- Locate relevant installation evidence, including any Building Regulations Compliance Certificate.
- Note each document’s date, the equipment covered and any recorded follow-up work.
- Refer unresolved questions about missing documents or the buyer’s requirements to your conveyancer.
Missing paperwork does not, by itself, establish that an appliance is unsafe. Equally, finding an old document does not establish its present condition. Identify the missing document before choosing a recovery route: a new inspection cannot replace evidence that installation work was notified.
Legal duty: the distinction follows from regulation 36’s landlord-specific scope. It does not settle every contractual enquiry or requirement arising during a sale. Tell your conveyancer if the property is let or accommodates a paying lodger.
Buyer enquiry: a buyer may want current information about the appliances included in the purchase. A voluntary inspection can provide findings for the equipment checked. Existing records show earlier findings or maintenance, so their dates and coverage matter.
Installation evidence: a request about a boiler installation may concern Building Regulations compliance paperwork. Ask exactly which document is wanted and discuss the response with your conveyancer. A fresh safety inspection answers a different question.
Buying a Home: Decide What Evidence You Need Before Exchange
Ask what gas equipment is included, what records exist and whether a separate inspection is needed before you commit to the purchase. Agree access and timing before arranging a visit.
Obtain the records
ask the seller or agent for available safety inspection records, service history and relevant installation paperwork. Establish which gas appliances will remain in the property.
Read the findings
check dates, property details, appliance coverage and recorded concerns. Ask for clarification about outstanding issues or subsequent work. An old record describes findings at that visit.
Check the survey scope
ask what the survey actually includes. Do not assume that a mortgage valuation, or a report mentioning the boiler, includes appliance safety testing.
Discuss an inspection
raise missing information with your conveyancer and agree any inspection with the seller or agent and the engineer. Make those arrangements early enough to inform your decision before exchange.
For a London flat with communal heating, establish what serves the flat. There may be no individual gas boiler, but a gas hob or other appliance may still need attention. Confirm the equipment involved before requesting a domestic check.
Identify the Document: Safety Record, Service Record or Installation Certificate
A gas safety record, a boiler service record and an installation compliance certificate document different work. Match the document to the question being asked, rather than relying on the general phrase “gas certificate”.
The words “landlord/homeowner” printed on a form do not create a legal duty or establish that the required work was completed. Read the entries, appliance coverage and findings. A record can document defects, so receiving one does not mean every appliance was found safe.
Gas Safety Record
A safety record describes findings for the appliances and flues actually checked. For landlords, the Landlord Gas Safety Record is commonly called a CP12. Check which equipment is listed, what findings were recorded and whether further action was identified. It does not establish future safety or replace evidence about installation notification.
Boiler Service Record
A service record describes maintenance undertaken on the boiler. It helps explain the appliance’s maintenance history, but does not automatically show that a landlord safety check covered every relevant appliance and flue. A boiler service entry also tells you nothing about an unlisted gas cooker or fire.
Building Regulations Compliance Certificate
This is compliance evidence associated with notified installation work. It answers a question about that installation, rather than documenting a recurring appliance safety inspection. Keep it with the relevant property paperwork. Neither a later service record nor a new safety inspection should be treated as replacement evidence that the installation was notified.
Keep Gas Appliances Checked Even When an Annual Record Is Not Mandatory
HSE recommends regular maintenance and annual safety checks even where the landlord annual-record duty does not apply. This is safety advice for owner-occupiers, distinct from the statutory annual landlord-record requirement.
Follow the appliance manufacturer’s maintenance instructions and use an appropriately qualified Gas Safe registered engineer. Check the engineer’s identity and relevant appliance categories on their Gas Safe ID card. Carbon monoxide alarms do not replace maintenance or safety checks.
If you smell gas: leave and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 from a safe place.
If carbon monoxide exposure is suspected: get into fresh air and seek medical help through NHS 111, or call 999 if symptoms are serious. Treat a sounding carbon monoxide alarm as real: leave, call the gas emergency service from safety and do not wait for an ordinary appointment.
Landlord gas safety certificates
Arrange a Homeowner or Buyer Gas Safety Check in London
If you want current findings on the home’s gas appliances, arrange a homeowner or buyer gas safety check in London. All Service 4 U uses Gas Safe registered engineers; our business registration is 648977.
Have the postcode, occupancy status, known gas appliances, available records and access contact ready. Buyers must agree access with the seller or agent. Explain what information you need so the inspection scope can be discussed.
Call 020 3740 6785. Our phone line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Arrange a homeowner gas safety check.
020 3740 6785
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can I Check My Gas Certificate?
First identify the document, then check its date, property, appliance coverage and issuing engineer. Ask the issuing business to explain unclear entries. Separately, verify the engineer’s identity and relevant work categories through the Gas Safe Register and their ID card. The Register is not a public database of individual CP12 records, so an engineer search does not authenticate a particular document.
Is a Boiler Service the Same as a Gas Safety Certificate?
No: a boiler service records maintenance, while a gas safety check records safety findings for the appliances and flues checked. A service must not be assumed to fulfil the landlord’s checking duty. Equally, a safety check alone must not be assumed to provide effective maintenance. Confirm which work was completed by reading the relevant records.
Can I Get the Landlord CP12 and Boiler Service Done in One Visit?
Yes, the landlord gas safety check and boiler service can be arranged together, but they remain separate activities. The check addresses landlord-provided gas appliances and flues; the service addresses boiler maintenance. When arranging the visit, confirm the appliance list, the work included and which records will be provided, particularly if the property has appliances beyond the boiler.
How Often Do I Need a CP12 as a Landlord, and Can I Book It Early?
Landlord gas appliances and flues need annual checks; qualifying early checks can preserve the existing deadline. Regulation 36A allows a check in the two months before that deadline to retain it when the conditions are met. This gives no grace period after expiry. The statutory annual landlord-record cycle does not apply to ordinary owner-occupiers who are not acting as landlords.
My Boiler Has Been Labelled Unsafe: What Does That Mean?
An unsafe warning means you should stop using the affected appliance and follow the engineer’s instructions. The warning notice explains the finding and action needed before reuse. A safety record can still be issued documenting defects. The responsible owner or landlord must arrange the necessary remedial work with a Gas Safe registered engineer; receiving the record does not authorise continued use.
Still have a question or need urgent assistance? Call 020 3740 6785, tell us what has happened and we will tell you what happens next.